buying grains in bulk

Where to buy grains in bulk ? Seems much higher than just getting at my local brew store, I pay a buck a pound. With what they call a grain card. $55 for 55lbs, but online it's much more whole, People milling for flavor or cost ?

I assume its a combination of the two. discount at higher amounts of grain and freshness of the grain going from bag to mill to mash in a matter of minutes instead of hours or days

I buy in bulk for 4 primary reasons;
1. Fresh milled grains into the mash
2. Control of the crush to fit my brewing system
3. Variety, variety, variety, I brew a lot and like to have the grain to brew with out the drive to the LHBS.
4. Cost

Jamming said:

Where to buy grains in bulk ? Seems much higher than just getting at my local brew store, I pay a buck a pound. With what they call a grain card. $55 for 55lbs, but online it's much more whole, People milling for flavor or cost ?

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I just paid under $35 per 55# sack of 2-row, that included shipping. This was in a group buy (3 pallets of grain). Even better savings on things like Maris Otter, which was under $48 (again including our buys shipping costs). Also got hops at great prices.

Having said this, $1/# from your local brew store is a pretty decent deal. Most LHBS's charge considerably more than this, e.g. my local store is $1.45 for 2-row and $1.95/# for things like crystal. My local store once or twice a year has sacks (50#) for $40, and I also try to jump on a few of those to support them (and I buy lots of other things there).

I also have a motorized barley crusher so I can crush the grain immediately before using.

Edit: I also am never sure what I want to brew and don't want to have to ride to the LHBS and back. Having a stockpile of grains (I have over 300# easily) of a bunch of types: 2-row, MO, Golden Promise, Optic, Crystal 15/40/60/120/150, chocolate, Vienna, Munich (light and dark), Pilsen, Amber, Honey, Wheat, Rice, Corn, ... gives me great flexibility.

copyright1997 said:

Having said this, $1/# from your local brew store is a pretty decent deal. Most LHBS's charge considerably more than this, e.g. my local store is $1.45 for 2-row and $1.95/# for things like crystal. My local store once or twice a year has sacks (50#) for $40, and I also try to jump on a few of those to support them (and I buy lots of other things there).

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This is my experience, also.

you might want to check with any local breweries. that's how i've always bought mine and they sell it to me at cost. mostly for 2-row, but they are willing to sell pilsner malt or any others they have in stock.

copyright1997 said:

I just paid under $35 per 55# sack of 2-row, that included shipping. This was in a group buy (3 pallets of grain). Even better savings on things like Maris Otter, which was under $48 (again including our buys shipping costs). Also got hops at great prices.

Having said this, $1/# from your local brew store is a pretty decent deal. Most LHBS's charge considerably more than this, e.g. my local store is $1.45 for 2-row and $1.95/# for things like crystal. My local store once or twice a year has sacks (50#) for $40, and I also try to jump on a few of those to support them (and I buy lots of other things there).

I also have a motorized barley crusher so I can crush the grain immediately before using.

Edit: I also am never sure what I want to brew and don't want to have to ride to the LHBS and back. Having a stockpile of grains (I have over 300# easily) of a bunch of types: 2-row, MO, Golden Promise, Optic, Crystal 15/40/60/120/150, chocolate, Vienna, Munich (light and dark), Pilsen, Amber, Honey, Wheat, Rice, Corn, ... gives me great flexibility.

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What do you store your grains in? How long does will it keep?

I store the grain in bins built to store pet food. Airtight and handy. I've kept unmilled grain for more than a year before using it.

So, something like this will work? I have a couple of these at home already and they aren't too expensive.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Pet-Food-Storage-Container-Cats-Dogs/10811477

Are you guys pouring them from the bag into these? I just roll my bag up tight throw it in a( medium-small if its low) plastic container to a 60 deg basement.

I store my grains in food grade plastic buckets. Some are from Walmart, some from a set of buckets with gamma seal lids that I got from Costco, some, some in used food grade buckets from a local organic co-op ($1 minus my member discount), some in non food grade but within a Mylar (food grade) lining. I do this also for water, which I get from a local spring 40+ gallons at a time. (note: I am careful not to mix water buckets with grain without putting the bucket through a i overnight oxiclean followed by sanitizer cycle.)

Things like specialty grains (example crystal-60) I seal using a vacuum sealer in 1# increments and then store in a plastic rotor, I do this mostly for convince, but originally started doing it for stuff I expected to be sitting around for a long time. Grains that I sealed last year or have in buckets with gamma seal lids are still fresh smelling today!

(gamma seal lids are expensive, I'm not suggesting they are necessary but they are a freakin great idea ,)

I also have bought hops in quantity when I find deals. For these, I always vacuum seal them and store them in a freezer. If I have them in multiple pounds, I typically break them up into 8 ounce increments as it fits nicely in a single bag. I mark with the type of hop, aa's, date, source. When I use some, I cut the bag, take what I need, resell and update my estimate of the weight remaining. This can be a BIG saving as I've gotten hops in the $6/7/# range. I, with a couple of friends just bought 31# in a group buy.

One final side note. You can take it to an extreme. People who do long term food storage, e.g. Mormons, Survivalists will put food in Mylar bags plus oxygen absorbers and then seal with an iron or other device. Food stored this way has been shown to still be good to eat 20+ years later. (not that it is needed for that full sack of chocolate malt you bought in bulk .)

Hope this helps.

Does it have to be food grade? I hear alot of people use Homer buckets.

I line my rubbermaid tubs with a heavy duty large yard waste size bag, leave the grain in it's original bag and wrap it tight and the grain stays fresh for a long long time for me so far. Just sayin. I have a Corona ugly junk I power by hand so it takes a few minutes to do a 15 Lb batch, but it isn't too taxing. Just wears my arm out a little...
Bob

Wreck99 said:

Does it have to be food grade? I hear alot of people use Homer buckets.

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Homer buckets are food grade.

TrainSafe said:

Homer buckets are food grade.

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Ok cool that settles that.

Being i live 60 miles from any brew store, I am going to invest in a mill and start stocking up on products. Whats the Mill to have, I want quality not cheap stuff, any suggestions would be great.

I have often thought about buying in bulk but I think for me it doesn't make sense. The homebrew store is 5 miles away. I always go the day before or a few days before I am going to brew. I live in Texas so storing grain in the garage wont work. I think the only reason I would want to buy in bulk is that I can experiment with 1 gallon batches at home without dealing with the small amounts of grain I would have to annoy the homebrew store to make up for me.

TrainSafe said:

Homer buckets are food grade.

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Proof please.

I'll have to search it out on here when I get home. There were some extensive threads where others did the research.

From my recollection, they're the same plastic as the bakery pails that the ingredients ship in but with the HD orange added.

I buy base malts in bulk and just throw the entire bag in a big Rubbermaid container. Works fine for me..

I use empty cat litter buckets that originally held 27# of cat litter. Metal handle, very sturdy, snap-on lid. Three will hold a 55# bag of 2-row. I keep them in the basement, which runs about 60F most of the year. Unmilled grain will keep with no problem.

TrainSafe said:

I'll have to search it out on here when I get home. There were some extensive threads where others did the research.

From my recollection, they're the same plastic as the bakery pails that the ingredients ship in but with the HD orange added.

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https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/homer-bucket-leaching-chemicals-130909/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/home-depot-homer-bucket-vs-lowes-gray-buckets-216919/

I use them to store all my grains. I think it is a matter of what you are comfortable with.